Wanting Something In Return
by Carter Tachikawa
Summary: It's Ken's twentieth birthday but Aya doesn't seem to care. He doesn't seem to care about the one present that would make Ken happy or does he? It's yaoi. RanKen. (Completed) Final notes and preview added.
1. Chapter 1: Presents and Cards and Pocky!...

Wanting Something in Return (Chapter 1- Presents and Cards and Pocky. Oh my!)  
  
By Carter Tachikawa  
  
Disclaimer: Weiß Kruez is not mine, it belongs to Koyasu Takehito. (I hate that guy. He owns these bishies...sob! Okay, I don't hate him. Just wish I was him and I owned the four assassins we love.)  
  
(Yay, I'm back! Okay, the next couple of chapters lay out what happens on Kenken's b-day. So what you'll be reading takes place in twenty-four hours! I also realized that Ken's birthday is so close to Christmas so maybe he'll get more presents than usual^^ My original intent was to name this "Happy Birthday Ken!" until I realized that I already have a story called "Happy Birthday Ken!" in the Digimon section. I may accidentally upload a chapter on that story by accident so I changed the title to "Wanting Something in Return" after listening to Faith Hill's new song a million times! I see many of you want the lemon version and I will indeed make one. When I finish it, I'll post it on my sister archive at fandomination.net. Of course, I will let you know when it's up. Just hand me your email address in the review. I'm through with all announcements so you can proceed to the chapter below!)  
  
Thanks to the reviewers (and I'm sorry if I'm getting anyone's name wrong): Keeshe Kaldaka, fei, Rika-chan, Cece, Kyri, and kurai illusion.   
  
***  
  
"Good morning, everyone! It's a great day in Tokyo! It's cold, all right, but you're not going to freeze your buns off! Lots of sun and clear skies are headed your way! So sit back. I got all your favorite hits coming up on your favorite radio station for new music!" The radio was the first thing that greeted Ken in the flower shop. It wasn't on that soft rock station anymore. For a moment, Ken had even forgotten it was his birthday until he was greeted with a warm welcome.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Ken-kun!" A cheerful Omi chirped as Ken came to the now holiday-themed flower shop he worked at. The DJ was right. It was a cold day but not as bad as he had expected. There was sunlight and a blue sky. In the window of the shop, some poinsettias were displayed for sale, perfect for the holiday mood [1]. They even had a small Christmas tree in one corner of the shop with a few presents that some people had sent them. Yohji had wanted a mistletoe right under the spot he normally hung around but everyone else objected. Ken was pretty Yohji still had that mistletoe somewhere in the shop. He wasn't sure where.  
  
No one else other than Omi, Momoe, and the cat were in there but Ken knew it wouldn't stay quiet for very long. The schoolgirls, also known as obsessive fans of the four hot florists at Koneko No Sume Ie, would pile in. Most of them, as usual, would be ogling them and giggling. Some might buy something and for those who didn't, Aya would cast them out with the latest variation of his famous command, "Buy something or get out!" The girls would ignore him but they'd still eye him. If fate decided to play a role here, Manx would probably enter with a mission.   
  
"Ohayou, Omittichi." Ken greeted the younger boy. "Where are Aya and Yohji?"  
  
"Yohji-kun is still sleeping." That did not surprise Ken when he remembered the noise those two had made last night. "And Aya-kun...I don't know where Aya-kun is."  
  
"Ah." Ken tried his best to mask the disappointment in his voice. Aya hadn't made it in yet. Ken remembered how miserable he felt when he thought of Aya being all cold and emotionless. It sucked not being able to tell the one cared about how he truly felt because of fear. Fear that Aya would not be quite as kind to him when the truth was in the open. Fear that Aya would see him as less than what he was. If Aya were a book, he's be a mystery. No one ever knew what surprises and secrets lay inside of him.   
  
"You know, Ken-kun." Omi interrupted his thoughts. "You never told me what you wanted for your birthday."  
  
"Ah, Omi, don't worry so much!" Ken smiled at the blonde boy. "Anything you get is all right with me."  
  
"But there has to be something you want. More than anything in the world." Omi pointed out. "Think about it. What do you want that will make you happy?"  
  
Ken did not want to drift that far into his past. Every now and then, he'd stumble upon the J-League and Kase's memory and that would leave him feeling miserable. But after Omi asked that question, he was reminded of something he did a long time ago. Well before he entered Weiß, well before Kase tried to kill him, well before he was part of the J-League...yes, he remembered one time when he thought about three things he wanted. It had been a school assignment he did when he was in eighth grade.  
  
"Now that you mention, there have been things I've wanted since I was young. But I've gotten most of them already, Omittichi." Ken pointed out.  
  
"What are they?"  
  
"If I remember, we had to write about it in school. Yeah, that was it. Our assignment was to write about three gifts o wishes we wanted more than anything in the world. They could be unimaginable things like unicorns or things anyone wants like money. That's what most of the kids wrote about. Me...mine's was different."  
  
"How so?" Omi was getting that curious look in those blue eyes.  
  
"Well, my first wish was to be part of the J-League. That came true." Ken began. *And ended before it begun.* He added at the end, remembering all Kase had done. "Then my second wish was to..." He looked and saw Momoe still sitting in her chair, stroking the cat's fur. Oh, he couldn't say the second wish right here. And if that wasn't bad enough, the schoolgirls started coming in.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Ken-san!" They greeted. Aya and Yohji also appeared, signaling the beginning of work. The giggles and squeals were more than usual today. Ken was surprised when the majority of girls, instead of going to Yohji, came to him instead.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Ken-san. My imouto made you a card." One girl handed a folded piece of paper to him. On the front, there was a stick-figure drawing of Ken holding something that looked like a pocky in one hand. Inside, in really bad handwriting, were the words "Happy Birthday Ken-san." Ken smiled at it.   
  
"Thanks. That was very nice of her to make this for me." He told the girl. She smiled as another one bounded up to him. And then another. And another. Ken could feel Yohji's green eyes glaring at him with envy. His fans had gone over to Ken and were showering the dark-haired boy with the attention this time. Ken smiled back sheepishly. It wasn't his fault that today was his birthday and the girls wanted to come to him. All the while, he was bombarded with questions and gifts.  
  
"Ken-san, what flavor pocky do you like best? I'll be sure to get it!"  
  
"Ken-san, happy birthday! I made this bowl for you in art class!" Another girl handed over a lopsided bowl colored in blues and greens with "KEN" written on the side.   
  
"I made some cookies for you, Ken-san. When I come back to the flower shop, I'll bring them over."  
  
"Ken-san, if you have any time to waste later on, I'd like to take you to lunch today."  
  
"My American friend bought you both, a Christmas and a birthday present!" One girl handed over two large boxes. "Oh, yes, and here are the presents from me. One's for Christmas, one is for your birthday." Two more large boxes came his way.   
  
"Mou! I forgot that today was your birthday, Ken-san! Oh well, don't worry. On my way home, I will stop buy with something for you. A pocky or cookies or something."  
  
"My father has an extra ticket to next week's big soccer match, Ken-san. I figured you would be the best person to give it to."  
  
"All right! If you're not buying anything, then leave!" Aya snapped, cutting through all the schoolgirls and the gifts they were handing over. Ken was a little disappointed. As much as he loved Aya, he was enjoying the overabundance of attention.   
  
Naturally, the schoolgirls ignored Aya and went on handing more cards and gifts.  
  
"Thank you." Ken kept telling them all. He was amazed they knew today was his birthday. He was willing to bet either Omi and Yohji told them. Either that or the nice banner hanging up in the store that read "Happy Birthday Ken!" was a big giveaway. The ones who didn't know made promises to buy him something and a few even bought flowers right then and there to give to him (Aya didn't yell at them). He hadn't opened any of the wrapped gifts but he was enjoying all the handmade crafts, like the cards and pictures. Some of these girls had brothers who he played soccer with and they even handed things over.   
  
"So much for a quiet birthday." Yohji smirked, watching Ken being swarmed by the girls. He still felt jealous, even if they were all under eighteen. Omi didn't seem to mind the girls paying attention to Ken. And Aya? Hard as he tried to kick them out, they stayed like a stain on a shirt. Every three seconds, Ken would catch Aya's purple glare and then turn away when he thought he was staring too much. The frustration hurt like hell.  
  
"Omi-san, could you ring me up? I'm buying these gentians for Ken-san." He heard one girl say.  
  
"Yes, yes. Come over here." As Omi passed by Ken, he whispered. "You never told me your other two wishes."  
  
"Wishes?" Yohji asked. "What's he talking about, Kenken?"  
  
Ken was hoping that Aya heard that but the redhead didn't even look in his direction. Not wanting to feel bad or leave Yohji hanging, he explained as much as he could.  
  
"Omi asked me what I wanted more than anything for my birthday." Ken said. "I was just thinking back to a moment when I was in school and we were supposed to write about three wishes we wanted. I told him that I got most of them already."  
  
"And what were they?"  
  
Ken smiled. "I can't tell you right now."  
  
"Yes, you can! Come on! Who's going to care?"  
  
"They *are* private, Yohji!" Ken pointed out. "Sorry but you're going to have to wait like Omi."  
  
"I'm not a patient person, Kenken." Yohji murmured. "And you're standing under the mistletoe."  
  
Ken looked up and saw that Yohji was right. So that's where the damn mistletoe was! Maybe Aya would have noticed it too and maybe...just maybe...  
  
An older schoolgirl came and kissed Ken on the cheek. "You're standing under the mistletoe, Ken-san."  
  
*I'm suddenly aware of that, no thanks to Yohji.* Ken sighed. Out loud, he thanked the girl. Then another one came and kissed him. Then two more girls wanted a kiss from him. Then others followed. But not one of these people was Aya. Instead he was in his corner, back turned to the crowd, watering the plants. Ken's heart sank.  
  
*Dammit, Fujimiya! If you can afford to own a Porsche, you can afford to act a little excited about what's happening.* Ken fumed as the last girl kissed him. Giving up on Aya, Ken moved as far as he could from that mistletoe. Damn that Yohji.  
  
By now, all the girls were starting to clear out. Many made promises to return before the shop closed that day. Omi finished taking care of the last girl who bought flowers for Ken and the place grew quiet. This was the perfect time to ask about those wishes. Momoe had gone into the backroom now and they could talk about anything.   
  
"You never told me the other wishes." Omi repeated again. "No one's here now."  
  
"Yeah, Kenken. Spill it." Yohji agreed. Aya glanced in their direction and Ken figured now was a good time to talk about his wishes. Momoe probably wouldn't be back here for a while.  
  
"All right, here goes. My first wish that I wrote about was wanting to be in the J-League." Ken began. "It came true...but didn't last." He knew inside it was his 'best friend's' fault that everything happened but Ken wasn't going to go into Kase's betrayal right now.   
  
"And your second wish?" Omi asked.  
  
"My second wish was to get the chance to fight evil." Ken said with a grin. Yohji grinned back.  
  
"Ah, you wanna be a superhero and rescue damsels in distress!" He exclaimed. "I'm surprised by you, Kenken. But I don't think I can see you running around in a cape and tights."  
  
"Well, it came true. Just not the way I expected. Fighting evil, yes. But I was hoping I'd have some superpowers to go with it."  
  
"It's an adventure nonetheless, Ken-kun." Omi pointed out. "Superpowers or not, we have some adventures."  
  
Ken nodded. "I know."  
  
"So?" Yohji asked. "What's the last wish?"  
  
"Last wish?"  
  
"Yeah, last wish. You wished you could be in the J-League, you wished to fight evil, and?"  
  
"And?" Ken raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes. What else did you wish for?" Omi asked.   
  
Ken looked at Aya. The redhead had turned away from them all, clearly not interested in hearing about Ken's wishes. As much as it hurt, Ken stayed strong. Maybe Aya should have been more curious, especially when it came to the third wish.  
  
"Okay. I wished to be in the J-League, I wished to fight evil, and..." Ken stopped.  
  
"And?" Both Yohji and Omi said at once.   
  
Ken caught Aya's purple eyes locked on him. He didn't see any sign of hatred but he didn't see any sign of love either. At that point, Momoe had entered the room and he knew he should stop.  
  
"And. I'm going to leave it at 'and' for now." Ken said, much to Yohji and Omi's disappointment. He looked back at Aya who still had his back on them.  
  
Yes. 'And' was the perfect place to leave it all at for now.  
  
***  
  
[1] Poinsettias, for those who have no clue, are the big red flowers you might end up seeing during Christmas time. I think Koneko would probably be selling by now.  
  
(Whoa! Finally, another chapter! Sorry it's short again! Okay, when will I do chapter 2? Lots of stuff is happening this weekend but it's also fall break so I may get it up then. Lucky Ken and the girls...oh well. Aya's being a cold-hearted jerk yet again. I promise he'll loosen up. I also promise to work on the lemon soon.)  
  
Review this story or get out! He he he...sorry. I'm getting into character now. Halloween's coming up and I'm going as Aya this year^^ (I have the orange sweater, remember?) Anyway, review. No flames. Go easy! Thanks! 


	2. Prologue: Cry a Little For Me

Wanting Something in Return (Prologue-Cry a Little for Me)  
  
By Carter Tachikawa  
  
(Okay, this is my first Weiß Kruez fic, my first RanKen (Ran x Ken pairing), and my second yaoi ever! (My first was a Digimon yaoi). Now my original intent was to make this my first NC-17 fic as well as first lemon. However, due to the changes FFN is going through, I decided to lower the ratings. IF ANYONE WANTS ME TO DO AN NC-17 VERSION OF THIS STORY, LET ME KNOW! I have another archive at fandomination. net, which does allow everything FFN has taken down. I don't know why but I felt like writing about Kenken's b-day. The song below "Cry", which ends this part of the fic, belongs to Faith Hill. (Not me, don't sue) Weiß Kruez isn't mine either. (Sob!) All I have of Weiß is a VHS, an orange sweater like Aya's, millions of Weiß images, and a huge obsession over them (mainly Aya). Ah well, I'm talking too much. Here we begin what will probably be a three to five part thingy.)  
  
***  
  
"Welcome to the Love Triangle, Tokyo's number 1 station for soft rock. Bet you had one of those stressful days again, didn't ya? Felt like it was another Monday morning, huh? Well, now is the time to unwind. So sit back, relax, and feel… the… love!" The DJ said his every so famous quote on this radio station.  
  
Soft rock music at midnight...who the hell changed the stations on his radio? Well, whoever it was, Ken didn't feel like finding out now. Not to mention he didn't want to get out of bed. It was funny though. He didn't want to get out of bed and he was wide-awake. Maybe it had to do with Omi constantly whining "Yohji-kun!" every ten minutes. Yohji was making fun of the youngest assassin as always. That's why Ken had turned on the radio and heard the soft songs being played, reminding him of so much. He probably could have listened better to the lyrics if Omi and Yohji were making so much noise. It bothered him. What were they doing up at midnight anyway?  
  
There had no mission tonight. There was no mission they were currently working on. In short, life had been slow. The usual pack of schoolgirls came by, ogling them and just hanging around. Yohji would tease them, Omi would smile and help around, and Ken himself? Just working, trying hard to ignore the girls saying things like "Isn't he cute?" It was the only way he could keep anyone from knowing what was going on inside. His feelings towards one of his teammates were growing deeper. Ken felt like he was drowning in an ocean, that the current taking him under and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't swim to the surface. It was a suffocating yet wonderful feeling to love someone. And it a little funny to, considering he loved Aya Fujimiya.   
  
Aya, a twenty-year old as mysterious as the story in his amethyst eyes, caught Ken's eye not too long ago. After Kase betrayed him, Ken didn't think he'd be able to trust anyone again. Oh sure, there were the kids he played with. But they were kids. Their trust was quite different from the trust one got from adults. Children did not easily turn their backs on others and try to kill their best friends. Ken felt he was doomed to never trust anyone with the possible exception of his teammates. But Aya...Aya was different.  
  
Ken still didn't know Aya's entire story but he could piece together what Manx told him. Aya Fujimiya hadn't always been the cold bastard a lot of people saw him as. In truth, he was hurting. He had a happy life once. He loved his family and he loved what the world had given him. Then a man named Takatori ripped his happy life to bits by murdering his parents and running over his poor sister, leaving girl in a coma. Aya grew cold, shut out all emotions, and forgot about his heart. So when he fell for the one who sought nothing but vengeance on the man that ruined his life, Ken was scared.   
  
*Aya...if only you were a little more open...* Ken thought and, as he begin to think of Aya, another exclamation from Omi disrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Yohji-kun! You did it again!"  
  
"Omittichi, calm down! You're squealing louder than those girls that hang around at the shop!"  
  
"I'm not squealing!"  
  
"I beg to differ, chibi."  
  
*What are they doing?* Ken wondered. Were they planning him a surprise for his birthday? Of course, it had been a surprise when Omi pointed to the calendar and mentioned that they needed to do something special for him. Ken didn't care too much about his birthday anymore. It came and went like the days. He grew older and perhaps his physical image changed but that was it. The only one who really gave a damn about birthdays was Omi. He was young, of course. His only came around once every four years. And it was all his idea to celebrate Ken's birthday in the first place.  
  
"It's not fair, Ken-kun." The younger boy told him. "We need to do something special for you too."  
  
"Special, Omittichi?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to do something special for me? It's a birthday. Just buying me a present will be enough."  
  
"No, Ken-kun." Omi shook his blonde head. "You need more."  
  
More. Ken had no idea what Omi meant when he said "more". Was he implying that Ken got the short end of the stick all the time? Ken didn't think he did. Was he just saying that to make him feel better? Probably. Or maybe, *just* maybe, the seventeen-year old knew about the something Ken Hidaka wanted. He knew about the one present that would make the nineteen-year old happy.  
  
Getting Aya Fujimiya to notice and, more importantly, love him.   
  
But Aya…emotionless, broken Aya…didn't seem to feel the same for Ken. He didn't seem to be thrilled that Ken's birthday was coming along. Yohji went along with Omi's secret plan, whatever the hell it was, but Aya didn't want anything to do with it. He just shrugged when Omi pointed to December 23rd on the calendar and marked that square with the words "KEN'S BIRTHDAY" in bold letters. As time passed, Ken hoped Aya would show some interest in helping Yohji and Omi.  
  
He didn't.   
  
*Damn it, Aya!* Ken thought to himself, frustrated with the red-haired man. *Even if you don't care about me, just for one goddamn minute of your life, pretend that you do! Help Omi and Yohji! They'll probably destroy the place whenever I hear them downstairs! Just act like you care about something.*  
  
He didn't know where Aya was right now. Probably sound asleep, unlike Ken himself. No turmoil and confusion in that man's mind, oh no. All he cared about was his sister in that coma. Of course, he should care about her. But he should care about the others around him. He should stop acting like a cold bastard, when deep inside, Ken knew he wasn't one.   
  
"YOHJI-KUN! That's it! Give it to me!"  
  
"Hey! Omi! I got it under control!"  
  
"No, you don't! Here! I'll take over!"  
  
Yohji was right…Omi was starting to squeal louder than the girls who hung around the flower shop. Whatever he was doing, he obviously wanted it to be perfect for Ken's birthday. Hopefully, he would not burn down the place or something.   
  
*Aya…why don't you care about anyone? I care about you.* Ken sighed as he listened to the story of a woman whose boyfriend was giving her the cold shoulder. She wanted to be more than his girlfriend but he was showing no interest in her. The guy sounded just like Aya Fujiymiya. Ken pitied the woman as he listened to her sobbing on the radio. It did hurt when the one you loved showed no sign of loving you back.  
  
"Don't worry, sugar." The DJ said. "Dry those eyes. I've got just the song to make this guy loosen up and show his soft side. Have a great night, babe."  
  
Forgetting all about trying to catch some sleep, Ken just turned up the volume on the radio. After all, it would block out all the sounds coming from downstairs and think about Aya. Maybe the song might make him feel better.   
  
*And maybe it may help me find a way to reach through to Aya.* Ken thought as the soft music began to play.   
  
***  
  
~If I had just one tear running down your cheek  
Maybe I could cope maybe I'd get some sleep  
If I had just one moment at your expense  
Maybe all my misery would be well spent  
  
Yeah… could you cry a little?  
Lie just a little  
Pretend that you're feeling a little more pain  
I gave now I 'm wanting  
Something in return  
So cry just a little for me  
  
If your love could be caged, honey I would hold the key  
And conceal it underneath the pile of lies you handed me  
And you'd hunt those lies  
They'd be all you'd ever find  
And that'd be all you'd have to know  
For me to be fine  
  
Yeah... and you'd cry a little  
Die just a little  
And baby I would feel just a little less pain  
I gave now I'm wanting   
Something in return  
So cry just a little for me  
  
Give it up baby  
I hear your goodbye  
Nothing's going to save me  
I can see it your eyes  
Some kind of heartache  
Darling, give it a try  
I don't want pity  
I just want what is mine  
  
Yeah... could you cry a little?  
Lie just a little  
Pretend that you're feeling a little more pain  
I gave now I'm wanting  
Something in return  
So cry just a little for me  
  
Yeah… cry just a little for me  
  
Whoa, could you cry a little for me?  
  
Yeah, yeah~  
  
***  
  
No, the song didn't help. It was just another reminder that Aya wasn't interested in him. He didn't seem like he ever would.  
  
___  
  
(Wow! That was short as mess! I swear, I will have the first part up soon! Again, if anyone wants me to make an NC-17 version, all you have to do is ask. Email me or review the fic. I'll try and get in touch with you asap. Yeah, this is a sad beginning. I promise it has a happy ending! Seriously, it does! So here is my first Weiss Kruez fic (can't make the little symbol on this school computer, which is where I finished my fanfic). Go easy on me! I am so new at all of this! No flames, thanks!) 


	3. Chapter 2: More Talk of Wishes and Cardb...

Wanting Something in Return (Chapter 2: More Talk of Wishes and Cardboard-Tasting Cookies)  
  
By Carter Tachikawa  
  
***Spoilers abound from lots of episodes. Read with caution! ***  
  
Disclaimer: When I can take over Koyasu Takehito's mind and soul, then Weiß Kruez will be mine. Until then, it's not. (But someday...)  
  
(Hello again! I'm back with yet another chapter to this story! I really seem to enjoy writing it lately and I'm glad that those of you who are reading it also like it. However, I think I lied when I said this thing would be only five chapters long. I may make it even longer, with and without the lemon scene. Anyway, I saw some Gluhen screen caps and Aya smiles a whole lot in them! Certainly not like the Aya in this story! Oh well, this is not based on Gluhen to begin with. I'm talking too much again so I'll shut up and start the story!)  
  
Oh, one announcement...any artists out there? I would love it if someone would draw me a scene from my story or something like that. Interested folks should contact me (my email is on my profile).   
  
Thanks to the reviewers again (this is in no particular order): LittleIsa, fei, Keeshe Kaldaka, EmpressRose, Kyri, CherubKatan, marsupial, fuzzish, and kamibukurosama. (I think that's everyone...if I left you out, I'm sorry. I'll remember to put you in next time~_^)  
  
***  
  
"Ugh!" Yohji threw away one of the cookies a girl had bought. It was burnt beyond recognition and hard as a piece of wood. "Kenken, don't have one of these! I feel like I'm eating cardboard."  
  
"Yohji!" Ken exclaimed. "I didn't say you could eat my cookies!"  
  
"Hey, you're not my mother. You can't tell me what to do. Besides, be glad I had one. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I think she was trying to poison you." In disgust, Yohji eyed the rest of the cookies.  
  
"Oh, Yohji-kun." Omi sighed, picking up one of the cookies. This one wasn't quite as burnt. At least it had some brown in it. He tried it. "Not bad. How could you compare this to cardboard?"  
  
"Hey!" Ken took the box away. "That's my present! If you wanted one, you just had to ask."  
  
Omi smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Ken-kun. I just wanted to see if Yohji-kun was right."  
  
"It's okay, Omittichi." Ken sighed. "But next time, don't follow Yohji's example. He has bad manners."  
  
"I don't have bad manners!" Yohji said...or at least what he was trying to say through a mouthful of his cardboard tasting, burnt black cookie. Omi took one look at him and then turned to Aya who had completely pulled away from the scene, busy taking care of the plants. Ken followed his gaze.  
  
"Aya-kun! Would you like a cookie?" He asked. Aya stopped and turned around to find three people staring at him. That was one thing he certainly didn't like anyone doing so he shot one of his deadly glares at them. Ken noticed it and tried to turn away. But he couldn't...those eyes. As cold as they could be, there was something in them. What could it be? Hurt? Anger? A longing for everything to go back to the way it was? Maybe Aya opened his heart up to them, mainly to Ken, it would a lot easier to understand the emotions in his eyes. Yes, Aya had a heart, regardless what he said. He just forgot about it.  
  
"Maybe later." He replied in that emotionless tone and turned back to his work.  
  
*At least he didn't say 'no'.* Ken thought gratefully. Aya Fujimiya did know more words than he spoke. But still he wished Aya had said yes. Ken wouldn't mind sharing any gift with him, oh no. If Aya wanted a cookie, Ken would have given him the best ones in that box. If Aya wanted a bit of the strawberry flavored pocky one of the girls was bringing later, Ken would have gladly let him have the whole thing. And if Aya wanted a slice of the moon from the sky, Ken would get it...or die trying. That was how far he would go for Aya Fujimiya.   
  
*But would he do the same for me?* Ken wondered. That, he didn't know.  
  
"Ken-kun, you never told us about the third wish." Omi reminded him again. For a moment, Ken had no idea what the young boy was talking about. Then he remembered the conversation between him, Omi, and Yohji about his wishes.   
  
"I said I had three wishes?" He asked, just making sure.  
  
"Um...yeah, Kenken." Yohji nodded. "You wanted to be in the J-League. You wanted to fight evil. And? What's next? What else do you want?"  
  
"I don't think I want to tell you " He grinned.   
  
"Ken-kun!" Omi whined.  
  
"Sorry, Omittichi. I'm not ready to let you know." *Not unless Aya is also willing to know.* He added silently, thinking back to the redhead who was now rearranging some of the poinsettias on display. Yohji and Omi still looked disappointed at Ken's resistance. He decided to change the subject.  
  
"Then why don't you guys tell me what you'd wish for?" He asked. "Maybe...just maybe...I'll tell you the last one."  
  
"That' s all I have to do?" Yohji raised an eyebrow behind those dark glasses.  
  
"It's not a hard thing, is it?" Ken enjoyed frustrating them this way. "I'm sure you have wishes too."  
  
Omi nodded. "I do. I have a lot. Do you just want three?"  
  
"As many as you want to tell me."   
  
"Mine are easy." Yohji said with a grin. "My three wishes would be women, women, and women." Ken and Omi groaned. "What?! What's wrong with wanting women?"  
  
"I should have expected that from you, Yohji-kun. But really...don't you want anything else?" Omi asked.  
  
Yohji gave them all a sad smile. "No, chibi. I don't think I'd get anything else if I wished for it."  
  
Having a feeling that Yohji was thinking of Asuka again, Ken turned to Omi. "What about you, Omi? What would you like more than anything else?"  
  
"Okay. Well, I wish I had a family. A family who cared about me." Omi sighed. It did not surprise Ken that the youth said this. After the whole kidnapping and Mamoru Takatori mess, Omi just wanted someone who would love him. Oh, he had Kritiker and his teammates, but it wasn't the same as a *real* family. He wanted a mother, a father, maybe a sibling or two...that would be the first thing Omi would probably wish for.   
  
"Keep going, chibi." Yohji insisted. He tossed aside another burnt out cookie and found one that was not quite as ugly looking. "You said you had a lot of wishes."  
  
"True. That's my biggest wish. I, like Ken-kun, also want to have a superpower some kind. Telekinesis would be really cool. Maybe have the ability to heal people and bring the innocent ones who died back to life. Like Ouka." Omi's cheeks pinked when he said that. It had been a while since his half-sister Ouka was killed and he never got over her death completely. He loved her 'til that bitter end, even after he found out she was his imouto [1]. To this day, he visited her grave.   
  
No one said a word when they heard this. Omi noticed their uneasiness and changed the subject.  
  
"I'd also wish for something impossible...like my father having a heart." Omi remembered that horrible kidnapping experience. He couldn't believe his father would be so heartless as to leave a young boy to the mercy of evil men. He didn't pay to get his son back safely not did he attempt rescue the boy. If it hadn't been for Persia, Weiß mysterious leader, Omi didn't know where he would be.   
  
Aya bristled when he heard that. Reiji Takatori having a heart? Impossible indeed! Then everything would change. Aya's parents would be alive and his sister would be all right. Omi would still be Mamoru and probably happier than any teenage boy in Japan. But that wish couldn't come true, even if it happened right now. Aya would still see him as the man who killed his family, almost killed his sister, and destroyed his life. As far as Aya was concerned, Takatori needed to die.   
  
"Ah, you're making us feel horrible, chibi." Yohji complained but inside he did feel bad for the boy. Omi went through what no kid his age should have to go through. No wonder he wished for things that were impossible to get. To make Omi feel better, he decided to bother Aya now.  
  
"Hey, sunshine! Care to join in the conversation?" He smirked over in the redhead's direction. Aya's face contorted with disgust. Of all the demeaning names in the world, why the hell Yohji have to pick that one? Not bothering to mask his fury, Aya turned around and faced his teammates, his glare going past Ken and locking on Yohji.  
  
"What is it?" He demanded.  
  
"What do you wish for, Aya-kun?" Omi asked before Yohji did. He had a feeling that the older man might say something to infuriate their leader ever more. Ken was also curious to know that so he waited for an answer.  
  
Aya's eyes lowered to the floor. "I think you already know. I want nothing else."  
  
Ken knew exactly what that meant: Aya's wishes were to get revenge on Takatori and for his sister to awaken. If there was something impossible he wanted, it would probably be to resurrect his parents from the dead. Then everything would be all right for him. Then it would be okay for him to smile and celebrate other people's birthdays. His family was his world. Nothing else mattered.  
  
*You are selfish, Fujimiya.* Ken thought, feeling a little angry towards the man he loved. *God knows why the hell you intrigue me so much. Maybe it's your glare, maybe it's your body, maybe it's everything else physical...but you are selfish. You act like you have nothing because Takatori took it all away. You're still alive, dammit! You got more than you realize! Maybe I was better off going to Australia with Yuriko...*  
  
Yuriko...oh, yes, Yuriko. She was there but what was she really? She was nice and pretty, just the perfect girl for a boy like Ken. Their relationship lasted only day or two before Yuriko got on that plane, leaving Japan (and Ken) for good. It wasn't until Yuriko was gone that Ken came to terms with his *real* feelings...these feelings directed to the one and only Aya Fujimiya. Even if Yuriko had stayed with him or he had gone with her, their relationship wouldn't have gotten very far. Aya would still be on his mind and the desire for Aya's love would be even greater. He would miss Aya more than anything else if he went to Australia.   
  
"Ken-kun! Now will you tell us?" Omi asked, his large blue eyes growing wide. Ken broke out of his daze and stopped staring at Aya.  
  
"Huh? What's that?"  
  
"You're out of it, Kenken." Yohji chuckled, pushing his glasses up. "It's your birthday. What the hell are you acting all secretive for?"  
  
"I'm *not* being secretive, Yohji."  
  
"I hate to admit it but Yohji-kun is right." Omi agreed. "You have been acting strange."  
  
"I have?"  
  
"Yes, Ken-kun. Is something wrong?"  
  
*Oh shit! Maybe they caught me ogling Aya! * Ken realized. He had been doing that for quite a while now. He wondered if Aya noticed the soft brown eyes that were locked on him [2]. If he did, he said nothing about it. Then again, Aya Fujimiya wasn't one to express whether he felt uncomfortable with Ken watching him or not. He probably didn't like anyone staring at him. Ken reminded himself not to do so much of it in the future.  
  
"Nothing's wrong." He lied. "I'm just worn out...I mean, it's my birthday and all."   
  
"Then tell us the last wish. Who knows? You may get it." Yohji pointed out. Ken contemplated this before deciding to tell them. After all, what harm could it do? Sometimes it was better to be direct than secretive.   
  
"Well..." Ken began but the door opened at that moment. The sound of heels clicking against the floor and the sweet scent of perfume meant only one thing...Manx was here. Aya nodded in the direction of the other three and they started towards the basement.  
  
"Wait! It's not what you think!" Manx stopped them. The four of them exchanged glances. Since when did Manx come to the flower shop without a mission?   
  
Instead she approached Ken and handed him a box. "I remembered today was your birthday. Here's a present from Kritiker."  
  
"Um...thanks." This surprised Ken.  
  
"Since when did you guys know about our birthdays?" Yohji demanded.  
  
"We're Kritiker, Yohji. We know everything about you." Manx smiled. "Besides, this is not the first time one of you has gotten a present. We get presents for you, Omi, and Aya too."  
  
"Yeah but you usually had a mission to go along with it."   
  
"That's true." She agreed, watching Ken inspect the package. "It's not a bomb, Ken. You can open it."  
  
"So is there a mission or not?" Aya asked, impatient with the talk of presents.  
  
"No mission." Manx shook her head, her red curls moving side to side. "I just came to deliver Ken's gift."  
  
"Manx-san, when are you giving us our Christmas gifts?" Omi asked.  
  
"Tomorrow, Omi." Manx promised. "They're coming tomorrow."   
  
Omi was satisfied with that. Seeing that there was no mission, Aya went back to doing what he was doing. Ken took the box over to where all the other gifts were. Yohji grinned and moved closer to Manx, who sensed trouble and tried to get away. It was too late.  
  
"You know what?" He asked seductively.  
  
Manx sighed. "What?"  
  
"You're standing under the mistletoe."  
  
Manx looked up and saw that he was right. Damn that mistletoe.  
  
"So how's about you making my Christmas dreams come true?" Yohji continued to murmur. Manx pulled his arms off her and moved away.  
  
"Dream on." A smile formed on her red lips. "I'll see everyone tomorrow. Better luck next time, Kudou."  
  
"Admit it, Manx. You liked it when I got close."   
  
Manx gave him an amused smile. "Shut up."  
  
And she left them behind, closing the door and letting a cold gust of wind into the room. But Ken was willing to bet that Aya Fujimiya did not feel it. He was already cold inside. He hadn't caught any of the warm, loving looks Ken had been sending towards him. Or else, maybe he would have said something.  
  
It was probably best for Ken to give up. He had a bad feeling wasn't going to get his third wish anytime soon.   
  
***  
  
[1] I'm not too sure who was older, Omi or Ouka. I'm calling her his imouto anyway cause I think she was younger.  
  
[2] I'm going manga eye-color with Ken over here. I like him better with brown eyes. It suits him well.  
  
(Ah, this is the chapter from hell! I swear it took so long to write! But now it's done...yes, Aya is still a cold fish. I promise that he'll show his sensitive side later. I think Kritiker would probably remember everyone' s birthday too. Plus I wanted a scene where Yohji flirted with Manx^^ Anyway, in the next chapter, Ken will give Aya a piece of his mind...and maybe a piece of his heart too. What's the third wish? You'll find that out soon! I won't be cruel to leave you all hanging like this. Well, later! You now can smack Ran upside the head all you want for being a jerk as always.) 


	4. Chapter 3: Ken Hits On Aya and Enter the...

Wanting Something in Return (Chapter 3: Ken *Hits* On Aya and Enter the Birthday...Cake?!)  
  
By Carter Tachikawa  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, Weiß Kruez is not mine. If it were, Omi would *still* have blond hair (even if I had to change how he looked totally) in Gluhen.   
  
(Dang, I'm back again! Sorry for the delays everyone! I've been trying to get the more romantic interesting part out now. It's raining like hell here so it's the best time to work on this and my other stuff. Anyway, I have the urge to make Kenken flirt with Aya now. Oh yes, we'll finally see what Yohji and Omi were making in the first chapter. What's the third wish? I can't tell yet...but a lot of you have made very close guesses. In truth, you won't find out until the last chapter...which is also coming up. I guess I lied again. This thing will be six chapters without the lemon, seven with it. Sorry for all the confusion, I'm still working this story out.)  
  
*Thanks to the reviewers (once again, this is in no particular order): LittleIsa, Rika-chan (who reviewed twice! Not that I mind, of course), CherubKatan, chibi koneko, Keeshe Kaldaka, fei, Kyri, marsupial, kamibukurosama, and Kytarynza K Yue (I hope I spelled everyone's name correctly)  
  
***  
  
"Ah!" Omi almost fell out of his chair. "Yohji-kun! With all this talk of wishes and birthdays, I forgot about it!"  
  
"Huh? What's that, chibi? " Yohji was too disappointed that Manx rejected him, he too forgot what Omi had been talking about. It wasn't until the seventeen-year old ran off when he finally remembered. "Oh, yeah! Hey, wait for me!"   
  
"What are they doing?" Aya asked, finally showing some interest in what had been going on. Ken shrugged.  
  
"I don't know." Seeing this was the perfect time to reveal how he felt, Ken attempted to...talk with Aya. "So what do you think is in that box Kritiker gave me?"  
  
Aya shrugged in response. There was clatter coming from Omi and Yohji were and then the younger boy yelling at the older one over something. Ken changed the subject.  
  
"You want some of the pocky one of the girls bought me? I don't think I can finish it."  
  
"You've almost eaten the whole thing." Aya pointed out. "Besides, I don't like strawberry flavored pocky."  
  
*Kenken goes for the goal and he's blocked off.* Ken thought dejectedly. But he wasn't going to give up just yet. He would get Aya involved in a conversation, one way or another.  
  
"Um...then what is your favorite kind of pocky?" Ken stammered. *What is your favorite kind of pocky? What kind of a question was that? Hidaka no baka, that was one smooth move! Real smooth!*  
  
"I don't like pocky that much. I don't have a favorite." Aya replied.  
  
At least he said something. Feeling like he was going somewhere, Ken continued. Off in the distance, something else fell to the floor and Omi screamed. It was probably best not to get involved with them.  
  
"So...was this how your...twentieth birthday was like?" Another stupid question. He had to stop this.  
  
"I don't remember. I didn't feel like celebrating it to begin with." Aya let out a sigh and for a moment, just for a small moment, Ken thought he saw the redhead's violet eyes loose its glare. He actually looked sad. "Getting excited over birthdays was what Aya-chan did. She was the one who planned all my parties. She invited people, decorated the house, knew what gifts I wanted...she did everything. The birthdays I had in the past were better than the ones I've had recently. Much better."  
  
*Wow! I made him show a softer side.* Ken blinked. This had to be the longest answer Aya Fujimiya gave to anyone. Ken actually felt more sorry for him. If Aya-chan was the one who arranged his parties, why would he have lent a hand to Omi and Yohji? He probably would have no clue what he was doing.   
  
"What was your best birthday then?" He asked.   
  
"My sixteenth one." Aya replied without thinking twice. "Aya-chan was fourteen at that time. She threw me a surprise party and got all my friends to come."  
  
*Aya Fujimiya had friends?* It was hard to believe but then Ken remembered Aya hadn't always been cold and lonely. That once upon a time, he too had a wonderful life.   
  
Aya went on reminiscing like he was an old man thinking about times when he was young. "My mother made all my favorite dishes. My father gave me a lot of money as a birthday gift. And there was a lot of music...the whole house had been transformed into a scene from all my best dreams. I don't think I wanted that night to end. I was forever grateful to Aya-chan. I had been unhappy for the last few days. School was getting harder and I had an argument with one of my closest friends. Also, my parents and I had some heated discussions over a lot of things. But the surprise party lightened up my mood. Aya-chan gave me the best time of my life. I'd go back to that moment again and again if I could."  
  
This was turning out to be very interesting to Ken. The image of Aya Fujimiya, sixteen and young, blowing out his birthday candles and receiving all these wonderful gifts...it was as beautiful as the man himself. He could picture the smile pasted on Aya's face as his mother laid out dish after dish of his favorite food. He could see Aya's violet eyes lighting up when his father handed him that money as a present. He could Aya moving to the loud music being played, dancing with whoever he found.   
  
"It sounds nice." Ken admitted.  
  
"It was. It was the nicest thing anyone ever did for me."  
  
*Oh my God, Aya just told me something about himself!* Ken realized. This was highly unusual for the quiet, reserved redhead to do. And he still wanted to know more about Aya.  
  
"So...uh...Aya...has anyone told you...that you're...very...very..." What could he say that hadn't already been said? Beautiful? Intelligent? A hard worker? Silent?   
  
"Silent." Ken finished off. Aya raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Silent?" He asked, finding that to be the stupidest thing anyone ever said to him.   
  
*That was another smooth move, Hidaka. This is the guy you love and the only thing you can afford to tell him is that he is silent. Great job, baka.* Ken berated himself. Hopefully, Aya would not hate him for this. He shrugged.  
  
"Sorry, it kind of slipped. What I meant to say is...you're...you keep to yourself a lot."  
  
Oh, that had been even better, right up there calling Aya silent! Ken wished he was more like Yohji at that moment. Yohji would use some of his best pickup lines to hook Aya in. It would also be nice to know some of those pickup lines right now. Hmm...maybe now was the best time to do so.  
  
"You know, Aya..." Ken tried again. "Are you tired?"  
  
"No." Aya had a bad feeling about this. "Why?"  
  
"Cause you've been running through my mind all day."  
  
Aya scowled. "That line never worked with Yohji and it doesn't work with you either. Don't try and use it with the girl you've got a crush on. And if you try these lines out on me again, I will be forced to do something drastic and you will not like it. Understand?"  
  
Ken gulped. "Understood." At least Aya didn't say he was going to shi-ne him. This was a record. Aya said a lot in just ten minutes. Ken was going to say more (not using Yohji's pickup lines of course) when Omi and Yohji re-entered the room, holding something huge.   
  
"Ken-kun, you will be pleased to see what Yohji-kun and I made." Omi announced. When the boy stepped back and revealed what he and Yohji were carrying, Ken wished that they had kept it downstairs. It was white and red with strawberries dripping down the sides. It looked like someone had punched a hole in one side of it. The top looked like Aya had driven his katana straight through it.   
  
Whatever it was, Ken hoped it wasn't food.  
  
"Tada!" Omi exclaimed. Ken and Aya exchanged looks. Yes, Aya even looked disgusted at...whatever they made.   
  
"Um...it's nice." Ken tried to look pleased.   
  
"It's your birthday cake, Kenken." Yohji chuckled. Damn. It was food.  
  
"Yohji-kun and I spent all of last night making it." Omi said proudly as some of the frosting slipped off the cake and onto the floor. Aya went to get a mop and wipe it up.  
  
*So that's what all the noise was.* Ken realized. He had hoped it would look a little bit more edible.  
  
"We made a few mistakes..." Omi began. "Like Yohji-kun put more salt than asked for in it."  
  
"We ran out of cream so we had to improvise." Yohji added. "We had no red icing so we used strawberries instead."  
  
"And Yohji-kun accidentally shoved his hand into it. That was why I was yelling."  
  
"Then Omittichi here dropped it on the ground..."  
  
"But, despite all the mistakes we made, it still looks good. Don't you agree?" Omi was beaming so hard Ken was afraid to say a word. He didn't want a piece of that cake after hearing what happened to it.  
  
"It...*looks* good." Ken lied. "But I don't feel like eating it now. I had too many pockys."  
  
"How about you, Aya-kun?" Omi asked.  
  
"I don't like strawberries." Was Aya's response. Ken bet that he too had problems telling Omi and Yohji that their cake looked anything but delicious.   
  
"Ah, well, it's your loss." Yohji sighed, taking a slice. He took a bite of it and tried to smile. "It's...got an interesting taste...you should try it."  
  
*I'd rather have a cardboard cookie.* Ken thought.   
  
Yohji spit out whatever he put in his mouth into the trash. "Uh...chibi? I think we should go and buy a cake. Ours isn't...how do I put it...we can't eat it."  
  
"Oh." Omi looked disappointed. Ken felt sorry and tried to cheer him up.  
  
"Don't worry, Omittichi. It was a good effort if anything. At least you remembered to make me a cake. And besides, you bought me a gift so you did do something for me. You too, Yohji."   
  
"Oh...okay!" Omi smiled. "Let's go, Yohji-kun! I know a place where they sell some nice cakes. One of the girls showed me. It's not that far from here..."  
  
"I don't know, Omi." Yohji looked doubtful. "I don't feel like walking in the cold..."  
  
"There are six single women who run that store."  
  
Yohji's eyes lit up behind those glasses. "Why didn't you say *that* in the first place, chibi? It evens out perfectly."  
  
"Huh?" Aya raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah. One woman for each of you and three for me. You and Aya come too, Kenken."  
  
Ken looked at Aya. "You wanna go?"  
  
Aya grunted in reply. Oh yes, he had gone back to his cold, silent self. But he got up and took his coat. Ken chose to follow along and together, the four members of Weiß walked over to the shop. It was still a cold day and with the sun going down, the temperature was dropping. Aya was the only one not complaining about how cold it. (No surprise to anyone) But when they did arrive, Yohji got a good look at all six beautiful who worked there and smiled.  
  
"I froze my ass coming here but it was worth it." He said.  
  
"Let's go in." Omi suggested.  
  
"I'm not going." Aya stated simply, crossing his arms.   
  
"You and Yohji go. I'll be out here." Ken suggested. If Aya wanted to freeze his ass in the cold, then Ken would too. Maybe they may actually have another conversation. Omi was surprised by this.  
  
"But Ken-kun, don't you want to see what your cake will look like?" He asked.  
  
"Surprise me." Ken suggested. "I'll like it no matter what."  
  
"Can we go in now?" Yohji demanded. "I'm still freezing here!"  
  
"Freezing or anxious to get a date with all six of them, Yohji-kun?" Omi joked. "Ah, well, let's go."  
  
The other two disappeared into the shop, leaving Ken and Aya alone. Pacing back and forth to keep warm, Ken tried to bring that sensitive side out of Aya again.   
  
"So what did you think of Omi and Yohji's miserable attempts at baking?" He asked.  
  
Aya said nothing. He just leaned against the wall and looked down to the ground.   
  
"The cake looked like you something you'd shi-ne." Ken joked. "I don't think you'd ever seen anything like that at your birthday parties, huh?" He deliberately mentioned birthday parties in hopes of seeing Aya open up to him again. It worked the last time, why not again?   
  
"How should I know? My birthday parties ended a long time ago." Aya muttered.  
  
That was it. Whatever frustration and anger Ken felt towards Aya Fujimiya now was pushing its way out. Who did he think he was? Here was the guy he loved being a complete jackass! What happened to the sweet Aya who was reminiscing about his past? His silence and toneless voice was enough to make Ken spill out his true feelings.   
  
"What the hell is your problem?!" He demanded. This time he was not going to hold anything back. Aya's silence and lack of emotion had driven him to a limit. "I tried everything and it still isn't sinking in!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about now, Hidaka?" Aya snapped.  
  
"About you! You are the most selfish person I have ever met, Fujiymiya! So what if you don't have everything going for you anymore?! I'm sorry about your losses but you are so absorbed with your tragic past that you forgot all about the present and you are destroying your future!"  
  
Aya twitched. He had never heard Ken yell like this before and it infuriated him.   
  
"You don't know anything, Hidaka." He began coldly. " All that happened to you was that you got kicked off the J-League, your best friend betrayed you, and then he tried to kill you. You do not know what it is like to come home one night and find your parents brutally murdered and lying dead on the ground. You do not know what it is like to watch your home explode and collapse on you. You do not know what it is like to witness your little sister stand in the middle of the road, unaware of what she should do next, and then get run over by the same man who killed your parents. You do not know how that feels, Hidaka, but *I* do! That was everything I had! Takatori took it away from me. He took away my family, took away my home, took away my life...he made me what I am! I'm not being selfish. I just don't have anything to be happy about anymore."  
  
"Can't you pretend to be happy?" Ken wasn't going to buy the whole 'Takatori stole my life so I will be vengeful for as long as I'm living' act. He knew there was more inside this man. He remembered the whole talk about Aya's sixteenth birthday, after all. "Even if you're not, act like you're excited."  
  
"Over what?" Aya snapped.  
  
"It's my birthday, dammit! If Omi and Yohji can get over what happened to them, so can you! If they can take time to bake me a cake and buy me a gift, you can do the same! I'm not asking you to smile and laugh but be nice for a change! Or pretend. You're always pretending nothing bothers you, right? You pretend in front of our customers like everything is fine. It won't hurt to pretend you care about me."  
  
"Care about you?"  
  
"You still haven't figured it out, have you?" Ken shook his head. "Fujimiya, the reason I have not told anyone my third wish is because, in some way, it has to do with you! I care about you, Aya! No, I love you! The real reason I never ran off with Yuriko was not what Yohji told me. It was not because I had to fulfill my obligations with Weiß. The real reason I never ran off was because of you! I realized, the moment Yuriko stepped out of the picture, that I cared about you. I've only cared about Kase that much but he destroyed our relationship. I never thought I'd feel the same again but I do. Only I feel it stronger."  
  
Aya blinked. All this was a whirlwind of hidden emotions spinning towards him. It explained why Ken was eyeing him all this time. The boy wanted to tell how he felt but never got the chance. It was here now and, where Yohji and Omi weren't visible, he decided to let it all out. Ken stopped to take a breath and Aya turned away.  
  
"So you love me." He remarked. "I will admit, that is not what I expected from you."   
  
"It's the truth." Ken nodded. "You should try telling it someday."  
  
Aya whipped back around. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Instead of saying you have nothing, take a long hard look at everything. You've got us. You've got me. You've still got your life. Face it. The world doesn't revolve around you and it doesn't revolve around Aya-chan. There's a lot more out there than Takatori, your sister, and you, Fujimiya. There's a hell lot more out there."  
  
For once, Ken was making Aya think about himself. He did have a point. Everything Aya had ever done was for Aya-chan and for himself. He wanted revenge so he joined Weiß. But he wasn't alone anymore...Aya-chan was alive. She wasn't awake but she was alive and that left a little hope inside him. Also his teammates were still there. Omi, Yohji, and Ken...oh yes, Ken. The one who poured his heart out right now. The dark-eyed boy made a lot of sense. Takatori was only a small portion of a vast world. It was high time to start thinking about that vast world.  
  
"Well?" Ken asked. "I love you. Doesn't that affect you in any way?"  
  
"You're like a lot of the girls I've met before I joined Weiß, Hidaka. They tell me the same thing and I always reply the same way. I don't deserve love. I don't think I remember how it felt like. I don't want to remember how it felt like."  
  
"You're lying." Ken said knowingly. "You're lying through your teeth again, Fujimiya. Your eyes are giving it away."  
  
Aya glared. "To hell with this then. You want me to tell you the truth? Fine! I'm not worthy of love! I haven't done anything to deserve it, least of all yours! The people who I got love from are either gone forever or don't have a big chance of living. But I'm willing to bet you that if they were around, they wouldn't care about me. Look at me! I'm not..." Aya paused. "I'm not the same person they knew."  
  
With that, Aya got up and walked away in the opposite direction. Ken had the urge to follow him but stayed put. Perhaps it was best that Aya spent some time alone, absorbing everything that had been said. He'd find his way back to the flower shop. There was no need to drag him back.  
  
"You're wrong, Fujimiya." Ken said out loud. "Your family would *still* care about you. You deserve love. You're capable of loving someone. You're capable of loving me. I know that deep inside, you want love."  
  
Then his brown eyes gazed up to the starlit skies above. "And one way or another, I will see that you get it."   
  
***  
  
(Whoa, another chapter from hell! Next one will be more Aya-centric. I think it's high time we give the scowling, handsome redhead a moment in the spotlight, no? I will also make sure Yohji and Omi never bake a cake (or anything for that matter) again.)  
  
Schuldig: Okay, you lied. You lied in your thoughts!  
  
Farfarello: Yay! Lying in thoughts makes God cry!  
  
Me (turning around): Hey, look who's here! A half of the Schwarz! Hey Schu! Hey Farf! Schu, were you reading my mind yet again?  
  
Schuldig: But of course. In your mind, I see you wanted to put Aya naked in the birthday cake and make him pop out of it. Where the hell is that part?   
  
Farfarello: Muawahahahaha! Popping naked out of a birthday cakes? God would have a heart attack!  
  
Me: ??? I'm sure he would. Anyway, Schu, you're right. I had intentions of making Aya jump out a birthday all naked and such...but I think he'd shi-ne me if I did that.   
  
Schuldig (sulks): No fair! I wanna see that ice sculpture come out of a cake in his birthday suit! That's what I did on Brad's birthday! (Smiles) I think I should do that more often, popping out naked from nowhere...he he he. I read Brad's thoughts and he said he *liked* it.   
  
Farfarello: Nyohohohoho! Naked Schuldig scares God! (Licks knife)  
  
Schuldig (offended): Hey!   
  
Me: Yes...well, enough of that. I gotta get back to this story. Schu, enjoy scaring the hell out of Brad. Farf...uh...do what you always do.  
  
Farfarello: Hurt God?  
  
Me: ...Yeah. The next chappy is coming up soon! Two more to go! Whoa! And who knows, maybe Brad and Nagi will stop by, provided that Brad hasn't died of a heart attack from checking out Schu in his birthday suit. Stay tuned! 


	5. Chapter 4: Or A Whole Chapter Dedicated ...

Wanting Something in Return (Chapter 5: Or A Whole Chapter Dedicated to Aya Fujimiya)  
  
By Carter Tachikawa  
  
Disclaimer: Weiß Kruez is not mine, it belongs to Koyasu Takehito. The song "Spin", which begins the fic, is not mine either. It belongs to Lifehouse. I pretty much have nothing : (  
  
I suddenly noticed that Chapter 1 and the prologue were flipped around. If anyone else noticed this as well, I am so sorry. I think it happened when FFN went down. I tried to fix and hopefully it's back to normal.  
  
(Okay, I feel stupid for putting up Chapter 4 the night before FFN went down. I was debating whether or not I should. So here's Chapter 5, only two more (technically three more) to go. I changed my mind, this will be a seven part fic instead. (I change my mind a lot, ne?) The revelation of Ken's third wish will be in the final chapter as will the extreme RanKen scenes. This chapter, however, is Aya-centric now. We've shift gears, turned the tables, whatever cliche you prefer. I began the fic with a song cause I thought it worked well with where I am now. It's by Lifehouse and it's called "Spin". (Really cool song) So I won't bore you anymore, here's chapter 5!)  
  
Thanks to the reviewers: an anonymous person, Keeshe Kaldaka, fei, kamibukurosama, CherubKatan, and tyrnej  
  
***  
  
I'd rather chase your shadow all my life  
Than be afraid of my own   
I'd rather be with you   
I'd rather not know where I'll be   
Than be alone and convinced that I know   
  
And the world keeps spinning round   
My world's upside down   
And I wouldn't change a thing  
I've got nothing else to lose   
I lost it all when I found you   
And I wouldn't change a thing   
No, you and I wouldn't change a thing   
  
Everything I know has let me down   
So I will just let go   
Let you turn me inside out   
Cause I know I'm not sure about anything   
But you wouldn't have it any other way   
  
And the world keeps spinning round   
My world's upside down   
And I wouldn't change a thing  
I've got nothing else to lose  
I lost it all when I found you   
And I wouldn't change a thing  
No, you and I wouldn't change a thing  
  
Spinning, turning, watching, burning  
All my life has found its meaning  
Walking, crawling, climbing, falling  
All my life has found its meaning  
You and I wouldn't change a thing  
No, you and I wouldn't change a thing  
  
And the world keeps spinning round  
My world's upside down   
And I wouldn't change a thing  
I've got nothing else to lose  
I lost it all when I found you   
And I wouldn't change a thing  
  
No, you and I wouldn't change a thing  
No, you and I wouldn't change a thing  
  
***  
  
Aya Fujimiya scowled at no one in particular as he trekked all the way back to Koneko No Sume Ie. Why the hell did he even bother to come along in the first place? Yohji, Omi, and Ken would be fine without him. Oh, Ken...what the hell was his problem? He was a nice guy and suddenly he burst out, yelling at Aya and calling him 'selfish'? Aya Fujimiya was not a selfish person. He was confusing Aya with Ran...  
  
*Ran Fujimiya...a name I don't remember anymore.* Aya thought watching two kids playing out in the cold. No parents or adults around, he was irritated to see that someone could be careless and leave these children unattended. Of course, Aya wasn't a parent himself. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to be one to begin with.  
  
*I still have Aya-chan to worry about. I have no time for children.* He reminded himself. But then he thought. *What will I do if Aya-chan wakes up...or never wakes up? What would happen afterwards? Would I have time to do anything I wanted? If so, what would that be?*  
  
He supposed he'd stop being Aya and start being Ran again. The truth was, he didn't know how Ran acted like before. Perhaps he was more expressive and full of life. Perhaps he was innocent and careless like those children playing out in the cold. But whatever he was, he wasn't the Aya in Weiß. That Aya was more emotionless, more vengeful, more silent...  
  
*Silent. That's what Ken called me.* Aya remembered Ken's horrible attempts to flirt with him. Now he knew that's what Ken had tried to do. As much as Aya hated to admit it, Ken was being sweet to him. Hell, those pathetic lines he borrowed from Yohji was enough to make Aya laugh...but Aya didn't know how to laugh anymore. Then a horrible thought struck him. What if Aya-chan did wake up and saw her brother like this? Would she hate him for casting aside all emotions and forgetting the laughter she once bought out in him? Maybe she'd berate him the way Ken did. She'd call him selfish and mean because he forgot himself.   
  
"No! Don't jump around like that!" He heard one boy yell, disrupting his thoughts. Looking to the side, he saw a boy about eight-years old scolding a young girl for jumping up and down on the sidewalk. He had a feeling that these two were brother and sister for they looked alike. The little girl looked about six-years old. She stuck out her tongue at him and ignored his warning.  
  
"I'll be fine! I won't fall!" The girl insisted. Her brother tried to catch up to her and slow her down. Aya didn't know why but suddenly he saw himself and Aya-chan in place of those two. Once when he was eight, it had snowed and the roads were icy. Aya-chan saw a couple of her school friends sliding down the crystal sheets of ice covering the road and she wanted to do the same.   
  
"Watch me, Ran-nii! Watch me!" She exclaimed, trying to slide down it. Ran tried to hold her back.  
  
"Stop it, Aya! You'll get hurt!"  
  
"No, I won't! Watch me!" Ignoring her brother's warning, she slid down that ice and yelled to all her friends...then ended up falling on the frozen ground and sliding straight into a pile of snow. Her brother ran over and pulled her out of that cold mess before something else happened. Aya began to cry and he comforted her.  
  
"It...it...hurts...Ran-nii!" She wailed, rubbing her head. Ran took pity on her and gave her a hug.  
  
"Don't worry. The pain will go away."  
  
"No...it...won't!" Aya sobbed into her brother's shoulder.   
  
"Aya...Aya...Aya, don't cry. Be brave, okay?" Ran smiled at her. Aya looked up, her dark blue eyes still filled with tears but she stopped wailing. "You'll be fine. I promise. It's okay. You fell and hurt yourself. It can happen to anyone."  
  
"It can?"  
  
"Yeah. Sometimes you can't help yourself..."  
  
You can't help yourself...it can happen to anymore...Aya remembered these things as the image of little Ran and his sister disappeared. Could Ken not help himself from falling in love? Could it happen to anyone?   
  
"No! No, I don't want to hear anymore!" A woman's voice interrupted Aya's thoughts. He saw a couple...or rather a woman walking away from a man. The man was desperately trying to explain something to her and the woman refused to hear about it.   
  
"Oh, please!" He begged.  
  
"No!" The girl snapped. They were two people Aya had never met in his life but suddenly they too turned into him and Aya-chan. She was running away, crying. He tried to chase her.  
  
"Aya! Aya, I didn't mean that..." Ran tried to explain but his imouto wouldn't hear of it.  
  
"You're mean, Ran-nii!" She wailed. "You always do this to me!"  
  
"You have to listen to me sometimes. I'm your nii-chan, I know better."   
  
"No, you don't! You don't know anything!"  
  
You don't know anything...something he had told Ken right before he stormed off. And he was right, of course. Ken's problems were minimal. Ken had no trouble smiling and laughing after his life fell apart. Ken was still Ken. Ran was Aya. There was a difference.   
  
*But if I'm right, why does everything feel wrong?* Aya wondered. The images of little Ran and little Aya never left him. There was Aya showing off a new dress, Ran buying his little sister ice cream after she fell down, Aya handing Ran some of her chocolate pocky [1], Ran making funny faces just to please Aya...oh, those days were gone forever. Aya was no longer showing off new clothes or making her brother his favorite food. But that didn't mean he was ever going to forget about her. No way in hell could he forget her. She had been his everything. She still was his everything. No matter how much Ken said he loved him, his sister was his number one priority.   
  
*I don't do anything without thinking of Aya-chan's well-being. I never have, I never will. Therefore, I am not selfish. Aya is my sister.*  
  
But he felt like he was lying. Ken's words were making more sense now. Aya was only one person. He needed to think about others every now and then. He needed to be nice to them too. Oh, yes, there was Sakura Tomoe. He ran into her, mistaking her for Aya, and he saved her when some creeps wanted her organs. But that was it...he saw her as Aya, not Sakura. To him, he was Ran saving Aya. He was not Aya saving Sakura. What would Aya-chan think if she ever heard that story? She would hate him.   
  
*There is a lot more out there.* Aya realized. *Ken was right.*  
  
And Ken! No matter how cruel Aya got, he still loved the man! He believed that Aya could open his heart up to someone else. He saw Aya's ability to change. He only wanted Aya to have a chance.  
  
*And I blew it.* Aya sighed. *Ken has been throwing hints and I couldn't see them. He just wanted me to be happy for him. After all, if Aya-chan can be happy for me on my birthday, I could be happy for him. And she wasn't the only one! Omi, Yohji, and Ken were always happy when my birthday came around. Especially Ken. No matter how much I hated the celebrations, he still found a way to make things better. That's it! I have to make it up to him!*  
  
But how would he do it? Aya didn't know what Ken wanted for his birthday...in truth, he hadn't even bought Ken a present. He was ashamed of himself now and knew that most shops were closed so there was no point in spending money. Tomorrow would be too late. Then Christmas...  
  
*Christmas...mistletoe...wait a minute! I think I know what Ken wants more than anything...*  
  
He only hoped he hadn't created too much damage between them or his efforts would be in vain. He would lose his chance to change for the better. So he turned around and started walking back to where he started from. As he hurried down the sidewalk, he prayed that he wasn't already too late.   
  
With a completely different attitude, Aya Fujimiya headed back to the flower shop, a changed man. He had a feeling he knew Ken's final wish and he would make sure it came true.   
  
***  
  
[1] Mwuahahahahaha!!!! I have to thank fei for this! Yes, I suppose Ranners' favorite pocky would be chocolate since I said he didn't like strawberry.   
  
(And thus ends chapter 5. I swear, writing Aya is a lot harder than writing Ken, Omi, or Yohji. I'm not too happy about this chapter myself. Let's face it: I was tired and struggling to dive into Aya's psyche. Not easy at all. Well, next chapter will be Ken-centric again. He opens gifts in that one^^. It should be up sometime soon!)  
  
Nagi (hiding in closet): Psst!  
  
Me (sees and ignores him)  
  
Nagi: Psst!  
  
Me (looking up): Look, buddy, I don't know what you're selling but I can tell you for a fact that neither me nor my readers wanna buy it.  
  
Nagi (frustrated): It's me! Nagi!  
  
Me (surprised): Nagi? What are you doing in the closet?  
  
Nagi: Hiding from Schuldig. He's nowhere around, is he?  
  
Me: No...why?  
  
Nagi: He's jumping out of random places naked. I escaped with Brad and here we are.  
  
Me: You and Brad? Where is Brad?  
  
Nagi (floats an unconscious Brad over): Here!  
  
Me: You're a pretty strong telekinetic.  
  
Nagi (shrugs): It's a gift.   
  
Brad: x _ x  
  
Me: Why is Brad unconscious?  
  
Nagi: Because...Schuldig....  
  
Schuldig (jumps out in his birthday suit): Aha! I found you! (Laughs and runs off!)  
  
Me (in shock): That...was...pretty pointless. Wouldn't you agree, Nagi?  
  
Nagi: *has a nosebleed*  
  
Brad: x _ x 


	6. Chapter 5: Ken Gets A Soul and Aya Retur...

Wanting Something in Return (Chapter 5: Ken Gets A Soul and Aya Returns)  
  
By Carter Tachikawa  
  
Disclaimer: Weiß Kruez is not mine, never had been and never will be (unless I take over Koyasu Takehito...but that's a whole other story!) The song (I put a lot of songs in my fics, don't I? I swear, I'm not trying to make a songfic but these songs really fit well) is called "All About Loving You" and it's by Bon Jovi.   
  
(It's almost over...the story I loved writing is almost over! I can't believe it! Just this, an epilogue, and (to be posted elsewhere) a lemon scene. I have to thank the wonderful Keeshe Kaldaka for drawing something for me. I know I'll like it, whatever it is. Anyway, things are winding down. Aya returns, the gifts are opened, an actual cake has been bought...the whole works! So without further ado, here is Chapter 5!)  
  
Thanks to the reviewers: Keeshe Kaldaka, fei, fuzzish, siberian, Rika-chan (once again, reviewing twice!), CherubKatan, and Anurshi (I swear, I'm writing all your names from memory and in no order)  
  
***  
  
"Mmm." Omi shoved the last piece of the cake he and Yohji picked out for Ken's birthday into his mouth. Actually, Omi had been the one who picked it out. Yohji was too busy trying to score a date with one of the six women, who he found out were sisters.   
  
"I changed my mind." He told Ken and Omi. "I said there would be one for each of you and three for me. Well, I decided to have six for me and none for you."  
  
Not that Ken cared to begin with. He had Aya to worry about. As for Omi, they all looked too old for him anyway. And Aya...Aya disappeared after his argument with Ken. He hadn't come back yet but no one was worried. Aya was a strong and smart man. He could handle himself. But Ken and Omi would have bet all their savings that Aya wouldn't care much about these women either. In short, no one complained when Yohji said that.   
  
"You have to admit, chibi...this is a lot better than what we tried to do." Yohji pointed out. Sure enough, this cake was delicious. Omi picked out a similar strawberry cake with vanilla frosting, every inch covered and nothing unusual in it. Ken enjoyed it and that pleased Omi. Turned out the trip that shop was worthwhile. Even Yohji's efforts had not been in vain; he got a phone number. True, it was the phone number to the shop itself but, according to Yohji, it still counted. He couldn't wait to start making calls.  
  
"Did you enjoy the cake, Ken-kun?" Omi asked.  
  
"Very." Ken replied. "Thanks, Omittichi. Thanks, Yohji."  
  
"No problem. You're only twenty once...too bad I can't remember what I did on that birthday." Yohji sighed.  
  
"Yohji-kun, you went out with three women in one night!" Omi exclaimed. Yohji looked up and thought about it.  
  
"Oh yeah, I did. But still my twentieth birthday was nothing like my twenty-first one!"  
  
"Three women increased to five, right?" Omi rolled his eyes.  
  
"Not five, chibi. Six."  
  
"Um...I better open these gifts now." Ken put his plate aside and went over to where the boxes were. He made sure to separate his birthday presents from Christmas ones. There was also that big box from Kritiker, which felt unusually heavy and didn't move around much.   
  
"Oh, open them, Ken-kun!" Omi exclaimed. "Start with all the ones from the girls then go to our gifts!"  
  
"Okay, okay!" Ken laughed. A lot of those gifts weren't wrapped up, however, and many of them were handmade crafts. He picked up on that was in a box and started to open.  
  
"Ken-kun, hold on!" Omi exclaimed. "Shouldn't we wait for Aya-kun to come?"  
  
"Nah." Yohji shook his head. "What's he gonna like about watching Kenken open gifts?"  
  
*Yeah, what?* Ken thought. Aya had stormed away and still hadn't come in. Ken also noticed that, amidst all the boxes and gifts, not one of them came from Aya. Did he forget about Ken's birthday? Or did he purposely choose not buy anything? Ken couldn't remember Omi or Yohji getting anything from Aya on their birthdays. Maybe he just didn't care about them. Cold, selfish Aya...only giving a damn about himself and his sister. Yeah, there was Sakura Tomoe, but Ken could bet that Aya only treated her as a dead ringer for Aya-chan. Sakura did look remarkably like his sister.   
  
"Oh...okay." Omi finally gave up on Aya himself. "Open it already, Ken-kun!"  
  
The next hour was nothing but opening of gifts. He got some interesting things including pictures from many of the younger children he played with. He also got cards, handmade and store bought. Some girls who hadn't bought anything in the morning had stopped by and gave him their presents before shop closed completely. Things like strawberry and chocolate pocky, sugar cookies baked in different shapes like trees and bells, stuffed animals dressed in soccer attire, cologne (Ken raised his eyebrows when he saw this), aftershave (raised eyebrows again), CDs, movies, little things like poetry...it was probably the most gifts Ken had ever received from complete strangers.   
  
"This one is very thin." Omi handed him a small, flat package. Ken looked at it for a minute, perplexed. What on earth could it possibly be? Slowly, he opened it.   
  
"You don't think it's a bomb, do you?" Yohji asked.  
  
"Yohji-kun! Why would these girls send us a bomb?"  
  
"Cause they hate us for not dating them?"  
  
"It's not a bomb." Ken managed to open the thin package finally. A small piece of paper fell down to the ground. Yohji picked it up and read it out loud.  
  
"Dearest Ken-san", He began. "I do not have much money to buy you anything. I do not have the talent to make you something. All I have is love for you and therefore this is my present: I give you my soul."  
  
Neither Ken nor Omi said a word after that.   
  
"Her soul?" Ken finally asked.  
  
"Yup. Enjoy." Yohji tossed the sheet of paper to him. Ken read it for himself and saw it was true. Sweet as this girl had been, Ken wanted to own the soul of only one person: Aya Fujimiya. The question was whether or not he'd get the chance to do that. Aya was unusually late. He hoped he didn't hurt Aya too much with his words.  
  
*I said some things I shouldn't have said.* He remembered how he snapped and yelled at Aya. Though the hard mask remained on his face, Ken must have broken him inside. He called him selfish and told him that he didn't think of anyone else. Even if it was true, it wasn't right to say that. Aya went through a lot. Maybe Ken' s problems with the J-League and Kase weren't big. It must have been worse to come home and find his family murdered. It was probably more heart-wrenching to watch Aya-chan get run over like that.   
  
"Ken-kun!" Omi complained. "You didn't finish opening gifts!"  
  
"That's cause he's enjoying the soul he got. Ne, Kenken?" Yohji joked. Ken broke out of his daze and shook his head. He picked up the box from Kritiker.  
  
"I wonder what's in here?" He murmured out loud, ripping the wrapping paper off. Carefully pulling off the tape, he opened the box and found a new pair of bugnuks inside. No wonder the box was so heavy and it didn't move around as much as the other presents.   
  
"Nice!" He pulled them out and tried them on. "I can't wait to use these on the next mission." He then took them off and put them back in the box. Omi held out another package.  
  
"This is from me!" He exclaimed. "It took me forever to find something for you, Ken-kun. But I finally did and I really hope you like it!"  
  
"Omittichi! The cake was enough!"   
  
"No, it wasn't. Open it!"  
  
"Fine." Ken opened the box and found a nice sweatshirt with the name of his favorite team on it. "Omi! You bought this for me?"  
  
"Uh-huh? Do you like it, Ken-kun?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Omittichi. It was very nice of you to buy this." Ken put that box away and Yohji approached with another big box. He had one of those grins on his face, like a Cheshire cat, that meant he was up to mischief.   
  
"Now, unlike the chibi, I didn't get you something brand new." He admitted. "But you'll like this. This will come in handy in the future, Kenken."  
  
Ken was suddenly scared. "It's not going jump out on me, is it?"  
  
"Hell no! Just open it."  
  
"O...okay." Taking a deep breath, Ken slowly opened the gift. Instead of finding something alive, there were several magazines and black book on top. "What is this?"  
  
"When I turned twenty, I dated a lot of women." Yohji explained. Omi rolled his eyes and Ken sighed. "I put all their phone numbers in that black book. If I remember correctly, many of them are still single. The phone numbers are pretty much the same. Now it's your turn to check all of them out. I got another book now. Oh yeah and the magazines are for pleasure. You'll enjoy the ones where the ladies are in lingerie. I guarantee it!"  
  
"Oh." Ken didn't want to disappoint Yohji by telling him he had no interest in dating all these women so he smiled. "Thanks, Yohji. I suppose it will come in handy one day."  
  
"Glad you liked it. And the swimsuit edition that I put in there is pretty interesting too."  
  
*Terrific.* Ken thought. He already had a plan to hand this black book to Omi when he turned twenty. The younger boy would probably enjoy it more than him.   
  
"It's getting colder." Omi commented, flipping on the radio as Ken picked up all the wrapping paper. "Do you think Aya-kun is all right?"  
  
"He should be." Ken muttered. Inside though, he was feeling guilty. Aya needed to be taught a lesson about feelings but he didn't deserve such harsh treatment. He already went through enough.  
  
"Good evening, Tokyo! The sun's gone down and the wind is picking up. The temperature is going to drop even more tonight and tomorrow there will a possible chance of snow flurries. So if you haven't taken out the coats yet, be sure you do that now. So let's get back to the music on your favorite station!" The radio suddenly blared.   
  
*He's not coming back.* Ken crumpled up some wrapping paper and threw it away. He looked up and saw that mistletoe Yohji had hung. More than anything, he wanted to kiss Aya under it. That would be the best present anyone could possibly give him. And then...maybe after the kiss...his third wish would come true.   
  
*I haven't even told Omi and Yohji my last wish. Maybe it's better they never knew.* Ken threw another piece of wrapping paper away. Suddenly there was a knock and Yohji went over to see who it was.  
  
"Well, it's about time you showed up!" He exclaimed. Ken turned around to find Aya standing in the cold. His cheeks and nose had turned the same color as his hair and the look on his face was no longer hard. In fact, he looked lost and sweet. Ken hated to admit it but he thought that Aya with bright red cheeks and nose glowing like a stoplight looked absolutely beautiful. Though he wasn't showing it off, he was freezing outside.  
  
"Aya-kun?" Omi asked. Aya nodded in his direction, then looked straight at Ken. Those violet eyes seemed deeper and filled with something different, something nice.   
  
"Aya..." Ken began but didn't know what he would say next.  
  
Aya stepped into the store. "Ken."  
  
That was all he could say for a few minutes. On the radio, a soft melody began to play and voice his feelings. It wasn't written by him but it felt like it had been. Each lyric expressed his thoughts and said what he never was able to say to the one who loved him. It was all truth.  
  
***  
  
~Looking at the pages of my life  
Faded memories of me and you  
Mistakes, you know I've made a few  
I took some shots and fell from time to time  
Baby, you were there to pull me through  
We've been around that block a time or two  
I'm gonna lay it on the line  
Ask me how we've come this far  
The answer's written in my eyes  
  
Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new  
That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more  
I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreaming 's just a waste of time  
When I look at what my life's been coming to  
I'm all about loving you  
  
I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've paid some dues  
Baby, we've been to hell and back again  
Through it all, you're always my best friend  
For all the words I didn't say and all the things I didn't do  
Tonight I'm gonna find a way  
  
Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new  
That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more  
I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreaming 's just a waste of time  
When I look at what my life's been coming to  
I'm all about loving you  
  
You can take this world away  
You're everything I am  
Just read the lines upon my face  
I'm all about loving you  
  
I'm all about  
I'm all about  
I'm all about loving you!  
  
Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new  
That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more  
I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreaming 's just a waste of time  
When I look at what my life's been coming to  
I'm all about loving you  
  
All about loving you~  
  
***  
  
(ALMOST DONE! I almost freaking done! Anyway, I've always wondered what Aya would look like if he caught a cold^^. The next chapter will have the extreme RanKen scene! I know you're waiting for it. And then, after the epilogue and lemon...I don't know what I'll write next! Ah well, school is coming around and so are exams. Sometime during the weekend, I *should* have the last chappy up! Anyway, review! Enjoy! Go easy!) 


	7. Epilogue: Kisses, Apologies, and Wishes ...

Wanting Something in Return (Epilogue: Kisses, Apologies, and Wishes Finally Come True)  
  
By Carter Tachikawa  
  
Disclaimer: Would Weiß Kruez end so quickly if I was in charge? Hell no! Unfortunately, I don't own them. Koyasu Takehito (lucky guy) does. And thus Weiß Kruez Gluhen has thirteen episodes and will be the last installment of Weiß ever : (  
  
(It's here...it's finally here. The story is over. What began last week ends now. What will I work on after this? To be honest, I don't have a damn idea. I got lots of ideas swimming including a Weiß Kruez version of Stephen King's "The Dead Zone" starring Aya-chan and yes, there will be RanKen in it. I have to read the book again before I begin. Also, some one shots and another lemon. In case some of you forgot, this was supposed to be a lemon too. But due to new rules, I had to lower ratings. I will begin working on the lemon someday soon. And when I find a site to post it on, I'll tell you all. Without further ado, I shall begin the final chapter of this story)  
  
Thanks to wonderful reviewers, those who were there from the beginning and those who came halfway through: Keeshe Kaldaka (can't wait to see what you're drawing), fei (thanks for the chocolate pocky idea), Rika-chan (loved the reviews), kamibukurosama (loved all the reviews you left me too), LittleIsa (appreciate the notes), and CherubKatan (thanks for your notes as well). Also to fuzzish and Kyri. Your reviews were greatly appreciated. (Pockys to all!)  
  
***  
  
"You two." Aya looked at Omi and Yohji, giving them his infamous death glare. "Get out. Now."  
  
"Hey! Whatever you gotta say to Kenken, you can say it in front of us!" Yohji grinned down at Ken, who blushing hard. "Isn't that right?"  
  
"I don't want to repeat myself." Aya began again. "Leave or else."  
  
"Do as he says, Yohji." Ken insisted. Inside, he hoped Aya had come back for what he wanted. Omi began tugging on Yohji's arm and trying to pull him away. Reluctantly, Yohji followed the younger boy. He grumbled but went away. Ken found himself shifting gazes at Aya and then at the floor. Now it was hard to talk. Lucky for him, Aya knew what to say.  
  
"Come closer." He suggested.   
  
"Um..." Ken began.  
  
"Come closer." Aya repeated. Remembering how cold he sounded to Yohji and Omi, Ken obeyed and took a few steps closer 'til Aya held up his hand. "That's good enough! Stay there."  
  
"Huh?" Ken had no idea what was going on. And before he could ask, Aya approached him and kissed him hard on the lips. There was no need to ask anything anymore. His lips were still cold, thanks to wandering around outside a lot, but they tasted so good. Then he remembered Aya's red nose and face. Ken pulled back, leaving Aya disappointed.  
  
"You didn't like it?" He asked.   
  
Ken shook his head. "Oh no! I mean, it was wonderful! But why?"  
  
Aya's eyes look upward. "Because...." Ken followed his gaze and saw that they were standing under the mistletoe. Damn that mistletoe. Damn that Yohji.  
  
"The kiss was wonderful." Ken said again. "But your cold..."  
  
"I don't have a cold." Aya said, letting out a cough. Ken also noticed those violet eyes looked a little weary and red now. Oh yes, Aya Fujimiya had a cold.  
  
"Then why does your face look like you rubbed rouge all over it?" Ken demanded. Aya frowned.  
  
"My face is red because I was walking in the cold. I am not sick."  
  
Ken suddenly realized why Yohji enjoyed pestering the redhead so much. He could be stubborn. "Don't worry if you passed your cold to me. I'd rather get it from you than anyone else."  
  
"For the last time, Hidaka, I don't have a cold!" Aya coughed again. Ken smirked and handed him the tissue box that was sitting on the counter. Then he kissed Aya on the head.  
  
"Want some tea?"  
  
"No, but I'd like a piece of your cake."  
  
"Oh." Ken's face fell. "Bad news though. Omi and Yohji bought a cake with strawberries. But I think I can find a piece where there is no strawberry at all."   
  
"Douse that piece in chocolate." Aya suggested. Ken raised an eyebrow. So Aya was more of a chocolate fanatic? If that was the case, how come his figure was so beautiful and his face so clear of acne? It must be his genes. Nevertheless, Ken did as Aya said and poured some chocolate syrup over a piece of cake with nothing but vanilla frosting. Aya started coughing up again so, no matter what he said, Ken decided to make some tea.   
  
"Here you go." He handed over the now covered-in-chocolate cake. Aya coughed and nodded.  
  
"Thanks. You know, you've made me think a lot tonight." He began. Ken turned around. "What you said back there...you were right. I hate to admit it but you were right."  
  
Ken sat down. He remembered that and was a little ashamed for calling Aya 'selfish' . "About that, I'm sorry."  
  
"No, I'm sorry." Aya wiped his nose with a tissue. "I was selfish. I just thought that I didn't deserve anyone other than Aya-chan. I thought she was all I had remaining in my life. I forgot about Kritiker, Yohji, Omi,...and you."  
  
"Aya, I..."  
  
"Let me finish. You are the first person to actually care about Aya Fujiymiya who isn't part of his family."  
  
"But we *are* family." Ken pointed out. "You, me, Omi, and Yohji...we're brothers even if we're not related. I care about you more than I've cared about myself. When we met, I knew I would do anything for you." In a whisper, he added. "I still will do anything for you, Aya Fujimiya."  
  
Then Ken saw Aya do something he never thought he would do again, not since he ran into Sakura Tomoe. His mouth widened into a smile. And he did something else he didn't expect: he started to chuckle.  
  
"You are a sappy romantic, Hidaka. I like that." Aya coughed again. "You know, I think I can use some tea."  
  
"That's why I made some." Ken grinned, getting up to get his love a cup. He returned when Aya was almost finished with his chocolate cake.   
  
"I feel bad that I didn't get you a gift. I thought it wouldn't affect you." Aya began.  
  
"Don't worry." Ken insisted. "I like having you here with me. It's the best present I could have gotten. Looks like I won't be using Yohji's little black book any time soon...right?"  
  
Aya smiled wider. He had a beautiful smile indeed.   
  
"I don't think you will ever use it." He replied. Then he sighed. "Thanks for bringing me back to reality, Ken. The world didn't revolve around me or Aya-chan. Too bad it took me so long to realize it."  
  
"Better late than never." Ken leaned over and kissed Aya on the cheek. It was warm like a banked coal. The two sat in silence drinking tea and thinking about how much had happened in one day. From presents to having an actual conversation with Aya, from a silly argument to realizations, it wore them both out more than any mission ever had. Good thing there was no mission today. What was most important was that Aya knew he was wrong now and he was willing to give Ken a chance. There was always more to Aya than people saw. More than "Buy something or get out!", more than a scowl on his face, more than determination to complete a mission.  
  
"You should act like this more often." Ken joked, breaking the silence. "The customers will surprised to see that you have a heart."  
  
"Not anymore." Aya murmured. Ken looked quizzical.  
  
"What do you mean 'not anymore'?"  
  
"I don't have a heart anymore...I think you stole it." Aya grinned.  
  
Ken felt like he was melting. "And you call *me* a sappy romantic?"  
  
"Shut up, Hidaka."   
  
This had been the best birthday Ken Hidaka had. There couldn't be anything else to make it better...  
  
"You know", Aya put down his teacup, "You never told anyone your third wish."  
  
"My third wish?"  
  
"Yes, Hidaka. Now, you have no excuse. What's the third wish?"  
  
"Well, I wanted to be in the J-League, I wanted to fight evil, and..." Ken grinned.  
  
"And?" Aya insisted.  
  
"I wanted to fall in love with an assassin."   
  
Aya smiled. "Interesting to say the least. But didn't that wish come true already? You fell in love with me..."  
  
"I actually changed it when I got older. It went from 'falling in love with an assassin' to 'making love to an assassin.' That's why it's still incomplete." Ken pointed out.   
  
Aya nodded and wiped his nose. "Then I know what to get you now. I'll give it to you tonight."  
  
"Tonight?"  
  
"Finish that tea, Hidaka. Forget about my cold. Come to my room." Aya Fujimiya kissed him on the lips, got up, and started walking away. Ken watched him for a good three seconds before speaking up.  
  
"Why? What are you going to do, Aya?" He asked.   
  
Aya turned around. "I'm going to make your wish come true."  
  
And he left a shocked but happy Ken behind, eager to make the young man's dreams come to life. It was his birthday after all. It only came once every year.   
  
And for all Ken had done and given him, he deserved something in return.  
  
~OWARI~ (For now...)  
  
***  
  
(And my fic has ended. Shorter than the other chapters but it is an epilogue. As most of you can guess, the next chapter would be where the lemon would start. For the younger kid's sake, I ended it here. Remember, you want lemon, just tell me. I can't believe I finally finished a fic! 7 chapters but it's worth it! I said I don't know what's the next fic I'll write but we'll see. Anyway, thank you all! Hope you enjoyed it! Take care!) 


	8. Final Notes and 2 Previews

Wanting Something in Return (Final Notes and 2 Previews)  
  
By Carter Tachikawa  
  
Disclaimer: Weiß Kruez still isn't mine : ( Neither is the Dead Zone, which is where one preview is based off of.   
  
Well, readers, I have finally finished. I know, technically, Chapter 7 is the last chapter. These are only a few final notes such as thank you to reviewers and what's to come next. Don't worry there is fiction in the end! If you wish to skip this, go ahead. I have 2 sneak peeks from future fics "Switch" and "Dead Zone". I must say, I was quite impressed with the way people reacted to this fic. It's the first time I wrote for Weiß Kruez and the second yaoi ever. I'm sad that it's over but I have the sequel and these other fics to look forward to! I hope you do too. So now I'm going to recognize those who reviewed my last chapter.  
  
Keeshe Kaldaka, siberian, Silvia, a person with three question marks for a name, LittleIsa, CherubKatan, Kyri, Rika-chan, fei, mainey, kamibukurosama, schu-chan, teteiyas, Smiley_Kim, and K.K Yue (Sorry, I can't spell your first name)  
  
Thanks bunches and now, without further ado, previews:  
  
***  
  
Preview # 1  
  
("Dead Zone"- a RanKen, AU, angst and supernatural)  
  
Quick summary: Aya-chan awakens from her coma to find that she has acquired the ability to see the future and only she, along with Weiß, can stop the evils of the world now. Based off Stephen King's novel, which is also where the TV show comes from.   
  
~~~  
  
"Aya, please ring me up!" One of the girls, who was hanging around the counter, asked. Aya, still lost in a daze, left her brother's side and went over to where the girl was purchasing some roses. Only a month after her awakening and she still wasn't used to normal life. So much had happened while she slept. Like Ran was now an assassin along with Omi! What was even more amazing was that Omi had been killing even while he was dating her! (Author note: There is an explanation on the Aya-chan x Omi deal in the rest of the fic. This is AU and a preview, remember?) Then Ran turned out to be in love...with a man. The man he loved, Ken Hidaka, was also an assassin! Then Yohji, sweet as he was to the girls, was an assassin! Omi was gone from her life forever. Sakura had entered the picture. Her parents were dead. Two years of her life were wasted with useless sleep.   
  
*Doushite? (Why?) I'm not lucky to be alive.* She thought to herself. *I lost everything I had. I have to start all over again.*  
  
"Will this be all?" She asked the girl who nodded.  
  
"Yes. I want to surprise my mother. It's her birthday tomorrow."  
  
"Ah, how nice." Aya remembered her own mother at that point. Finding her dead body only minutes after she had fallen into that coma...a night she never wanted to re-live. Except maybe for the time she was playing that game in the festival...how she seemed to guess the right color or number before it was revealed. The more and more she played, the less people decided to bet against her. Then in the end, when there was no one but her playing, she gave up and took her prize. It had been the best birthday she ever had. But then she and Ran went home, found their parents murdered, their house blew up, and she was run over by a car. How could she have predicted all those colors and numbers yet she had not predicted the terrible things that happened afterwards?   
  
*That's because I'm not psychic.* She reminded herself. *The game was a coincidence. I was lucky.*  
  
Lucky...somehow, she had a feeling that luck had nothing to do with her winnings. Her customer waited patiently as Aya rung up the price for the roses.   
  
"Tell your mother "Happy Birthday" for me." Aya requested, handing the roses over.  
  
"Oh, I will. Thank you!" As she handed the money over, Aya's fingers briefly touched the girl's hand...and she started to smell smoke. Looking around, she didn't see any of it in the shop. But the smell was strong and pretty soon she could feel the flames licking her back. Eyes wide, Aya held onto the girl's hand a little longer.  
  
"Um...Aya...let me go!" The girl demanded. Ran noticed what was happening and rushed over. Aya still had a good grip on that girl's arm.   
  
"I smell smoke." She murmured. "There's a fire."  
  
"Huh?" By now, everyone in the shop stopped moving and stared at Aya, still holding onto the girl.   
  
Then Aya found herself transported from the flower shop to a burning building. Flames were everywhere. Burning rafters fell from the ceiling and crashed to the ground. She tried to escape but it was hard. The place...it was a living room! The sofa was on fire and was quickly spreading to everything else. And a picture on the wall...the girl, her mother, and her father. And another picture of the girl by herself: her name was written on the frame, Umi.   
  
"Umi..." She murmured.  
  
"H...Hai? (Yes?)" The girl asked, now terrified. Ran had not succeeded in removing Aya's hand from the girl. "That's my name. How did you know my name?"  
  
"Umi, your house is burning." Aya began. "Or it will be. You have to go home!"  
  
"What?! My house is not burning! What kind of a sick joke is this?!" Umi demanded.   
  
"Go home, Umi! If you don't believe me, call your neighbor! Ask them if they see smoke or flames from your house!"  
  
"Aya-chan..." Ran began but shook her head.  
  
"Do it, Umi! You still have time to save your home!"  
  
"O...okay!" Umi nodded, realizing Aya wouldn't let her go unless she did as she was told. The other four florists just stared in horror, frozen and unable to do a thing. Aya handed Umi the phone and she dialed the phone number of her neighbor's. The rest of the people in the flower, minus Momoe, were exchanging glances. What was Aya doing?  
  
"Aya, why are you scaring her like that?" Omi demanded.  
  
"I'm not scaring her. The house will burn down if she doesn't do something!" Aya snapped. Omi stepped back. Ran decided to try a more gentle approach.  
  
"Did you see her house burning down?" He asked.  
  
Aya was about to say something when she heard Umi shriek.   
  
"Nani? (What?) You see flames? From the window...oh my! Please call my parents and get some help! I'm on my way home!" Umi hung up and turned to Aya. "I don't know how you did it but thank you! My house was burning!"  
  
Aya could only nod in response. She had prevented disaster from happening. Ran stared at his sister, wondering whether she was still the same person he once knew. Omi, Yohji, and Ken also looked at her before going back to work themselves. Pretty soon, the commotion in the store was like it had been before. Aya sighed and leaned against the wall. Closing her eyes, she felt a headache come on and the world swirl away. Whatever had come over her, it saved Umi's house...and possibly the people that were in it. She didn't know why it came to her or how she knew of it.   
  
All she had was a bad feeling that this wasn't going to be her last vision.   
  
***  
  
Preview # 2  
  
( "Switch" - RanKen, humor, action/adventure, romance, and some supernatural)  
  
Summary: During a mission, the boys get knocked out and awaken...only to find that their four minds and bodies have switched! Now Aya is playing around with a soccer ball, Ken is spending way too much time on the computer, Omi is flirting with ladies, and Yohji is...silent and stoic?! I know it's not an original story idea but it's one I wanted to write for a while.)  
  
~~~  
  
"So are you all in?" Manx asked. The four of them nodded.   
  
"Beautiful ladies in trouble...what do you think?" Omi asked with a sly grin on his face. "Maybe I'll end up scoring a date with a few while I'm at it."  
  
Manx raised an eyebrow but said nothing.   
  
"So do you want me to get started on finding information on the computer, Manx-san?" Ken asked.  
  
"Actually, I was hoping Omi would do it but...sure. Do as you wish, Ken."  
  
"Huh?" Aya looked in Manx's direction. "Were you talking to me, Manx?"  
  
"No, Aya. I was talking to Ken."  
  
"So you were talking to me?"  
  
"No!" Manx said exasperated. It surprised her that the redhead, who rarely spoke up, was asking such a silly question. He wasn't the only one acting strange though. There was something wrong with the whole picture. Omi normally didn't take missions cause of the women in trouble. Yohji did that. And Ken rarely asked if he could look up information on the computer. Then Aya was acting clueless suddenly. And Yohji...Yohji was just standing quietly by the wall, a scowl on his face. Manx figured that some girl rejected him last night and he wasn't in a good mood.   
  
"So...Manx?" Omi murmured before she had the chance to escape. The way he said that scared her, especially when he didn't call her 'Manx-san' like usual. Instead, Ken had done that. "Now we got the important stuff out of the way...how about you and I take care of a few things?"  
  
"Yohji-kun!" Ken exclaimed. "What are you doing?!"  
  
"Absolutely nothing." Yohji glared in Ken's direction. "I'm *right* here."  
  
"Ugh, you're making me look bad!" Omi groaned.  
  
Manx felt a headache coming on. What was going on? Why did Ken call Omi 'Yohji-kun'? Why was Omi flirting with her? Why was Yohji acting like Aya?   
  
*Tell me I stepped into the twilight zone by accident.* Manx prayed. But she had a feeling that all this was reality.  
  
"I look fine!" Yohji snapped, crossing his arms. "There is nothing wrong with me!"  
  
"Calm down." Aya said, picking up a soccer ball that was sitting by the couch. "But you're not..."  
  
"Not what?" Manx asked, finally fed up with the confusion. "I want an explanation. What are you all doing?"  
  
The four looked at each other, knowing that they were caught. They couldn't keep this problem from Kritiker forever. For all they knew, they could use the help. Manx waited patiently until Ken bravely stepped up and tried to explain the switch.  
  
"I don't understand the dilemma myself, Manx-san. This will be hard for me to explain and much harder for you to believe."  
  
"I've heard weird things before. Don't worry." Manx assured him.   
  
The mission we went on last night...do you remember?"  
  
"I do, Ken. It was a success. So what's wrong?"  
  
"That's just it, Manx-san." Ken sighed. "I'm not really Ken-kun. I'm Omi in Ken-kun's body. I know it sounds crazy but it's true. We succeeded but were knocked out by that blast...and when I woke up, I was in Ken-kun's body."  
  
Manx didn't want to believe it. But a lot of things Ken (or Omi) said made sense. It would explain why Yohji was looking pissed in one corner and why Omi was flirting with her. That would also explain why Aya was now playing around with the soccer ball. She didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure whose mind was in which body.  
  
"So you are in Ken's body." She began. "Ken is in Aya's body. Aya is in Yohji's body. And Yohji is in your body?"  
  
Ken (Omi) nodded. "That's right, Manx-san."  
  
"It sounds farfetched to me, Omi."  
  
"Farfetched?!" Omi (Yohji) exclaimed. "The hell do you mean it's farfetched, Manx?! Look at me! I'm in a seventeen-year old body, which lacks sex appeal! Look at my *legs*! My normal ones are strong and beautiful for any woman to admire! Omi's got stubby little legs! And no woman's gonna want to sit his lap! It's very..."  
  
"Yohji-kun! That's my body and my legs and my lap that you're insulting!" Ken (Omi) whined.   
  
"Do you know what we can do?" Yohji (Aya) asked. Manx shrugged.   
  
"No idea. What do you think caused the switch?"  
  
"Well, I believe", Ken (Omi) began, "that as we were running and we were thrown into air, the impact of our landings caused us to somehow switch minds with the person who was next to us. If I remember correctly, I was next to Ken-kun, Yohji-kun was on my other side, and Aya-kun was on Yohji's side. It kind of went around in a loop. My body carries Yohji-kun's mind, Yohji-kun's body has Aya-kun's mind, Aya-kun's body holds Ken-kun's mind, and I'm in in Ken-kun's body. We were knocked out in the whole process and when we awoke, we found ourselves in our present predicament."  
  
"And you can't change back?" Despite all she heard, Manx still didn't believe what happened.   
  
"We don't know how to, Manx-san. We could knock ourselves out but it may not make things better. Our minds could be switched again. We have to find another solution to this problem or we're doomed to stay like this forever.   
  
Aya's (Ken's) face widened into a smile when he heard all that. "Wow! With all that explanation and stuff...I can't believe how smart I sound!"  
  
"I believe you!" Manx said, after hearing Aya's normally emotionless voice get all happy. "I'll help and I'll get all four of you back to the way you were...somehow."  
  
***  
  
And those were the previews. THE LEMON IS MY FIRST PRIORITY! I will have THREE places where it will be: mediaminer.org, fandomination.net, and here, as a rated R fic. It's called "The Gift" and there will lots of steamy RanKen scenes for all of you~_^ .   
  
Here's what I want from you, dear readers. After the lemon, I don't know which story I want to start on. I don't want to do both at once cause then I'll never finish either one. So vote, in your review, for either "Switch" or "Dead Zone". Whichever gets more will be the fic I'll begin...after the lemon, of course.   
  
Later, everyone. Hope you liked what you first saw. Review, go easy, you know the drill. Enjoy the pocky I sent you all...next time you'll get them with lemons^^  
  
Always,  
  
Carter 


End file.
